Windlab Developments, together with Suzlon Energy Australia Pty Ltd, are jointly investigating development of Rugby Wind Farm, located between Rugby and Boorowa.
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The proposed wind farm will comprise up to 90 wind turbines that will be capable of producing up to 950 gigawatt hours of renewable energy every year, enough to supply clean power to approx 180,000 homes annually, or 90 times the number of homes in the Boorowa Shire. The project could potentially make the shire a significant exporter of renewable energy.
The wind farm has the potential to create social and economic benefits to the local community through the use of local goods and services, generation of more than 150 direct and indirect jobs during construction, and approximately 12 direct and indirect jobs during operations.
Daniel MacDonald and Mike Bagot from the wind farm project team met with the Boorowa Shire Council on Monday to provide Mayor Wendy Tuckerman and councillors with an overview of the project and an explanation of the process that will be undertaken throughout the various phases of the development.
Windlab’s Daniel MacDonald said community consultation will play a crucial part in the process and the project team looks forward to becoming active members of the local community. He says the project team have committed to providing information in an open and transparent manner.
“The response from the Rugby and Boorowa landowners and the community consulted to date has been generally positive,” Mr MacDonald said.
“Windlab and Suzlon will be actively engaging in consultation with the local community in the coming months.
“The feedback and information gathered during the community consultation process will be genuinely considered within the overall development design.”
Windlab has been monitoring the wind resource in the region since 2004. Their proprietary Windscape wind mapping technology identified the Rugby Wind Farm location as one of the most suitable locations for a wind farm in New South Wales.
Preliminary investigations have also revealed that the area has a suitable connection point to the electricity grid, has a large area of suitable land with willing landowners, low expected impact on flora and fauna and suitable terrain for the construction of a wind farm.
The wind farm would allow landowners to diversify their activities whilst occupying only a very small footprint of the landholders’ properties and allowing normal farming activities to continue.
Windlab and Suzlon bring together a wealth of experience in all areas of wind farm development both in Australia and around the globe.
Windlab’s strong development experience coupled with Suzlon’s strength in building and operating nine wind farms in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, will be leveraged to ensure a quality development that benefits the community and the environment.
The project team has submitted a Project Application for consideration to the New South Wales Department of Planning.
